James spruce



J- SPRUCE.

Post-Office B0X. No.224,486. Pafenfedreb. 10;1s8o. l

N. PETERS, PHOT0-L|YHDGRAPHER, WASHINGTON, 11C,

UNITED: STATES' PXA'TENT- OFFICE.

JAMEs sPEUCE, or WATERBUEY, CONNECTICUT, AssiGNoE To. THE sCovrLL MANUFACTURING COMPANY, or. sAME PLACE'.

Post-,OFFICE Box. f

SPECIFICATION raming part Letters Patent No, 224,486, datedrebmiary 1o, 1880,

Application led September 19, 1879. 4

` of `Connecticut, have invented a new Improvement in Post-Oce Boxes; andI do hereby declare the following, when taken in connecl tion with the accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same,

which said drawingsl constitute part of this specilication, and` represent, inj- Y Figure Yl, perspective View of one box 5 Fig. 2, perspective view of the tongue for securing the boxes together; Fig. 3, rear-end View of four boxes joined together; Fig. 4, longitudinal section through two boxes; Fig. 5, sectional perspective view of the locking-plate.

This invention relates to an improvement in that class of post-cnice boxes in which each box is a complete and independent structure in itself, so that in arranging a number of boxes together this single complete structure enables the placingof them in series vertically and horizontally, according to the space required to be lled, the object of such construction of box being that the boxes may be made and held in stock,'from which Vorders may be at once filled for a number of boxes without regard to the space to be filled by the boxes, in contradistinction tothe older method of making a case of pigeon-holes as onestructure to lill said space, and which can only be made when the diniensionsof the space are known.

In the manufacture of this independent classV of boxes they have heretofore been connected together by cutting correspondingtransverse grooves in all the boxes` and arranging a tongue to extend'through the grooves of several boxes; but in such construction, when the boxes are arranged in position, one boxv cannot be removed without removing several Y other boxes, and it frequently occurs that, for

some purpose, it is desirable to remove a single box without 'disturbing other boxes. i

The object of this invention is to provide for such separate removal; and it consists in the construction as hereinafter described, and.

particularly recited in the claims.

4tail or Vequivalent for-unas seen in Fig. 1, ex-

youter end.`

`A tongue, B, (see Fig. 2,) is made corre-A 55 sponding to .the combined grooves A of two adjacent boxes, and so that when the boxes are set one upon the other, as seen in Fig. 3, tl1`e` `tongue `B may be forced into the two grooves, asseen in Fig.' 3, and thus secure 6o those two boxes together, and so on. Such a tongue, being introduced between all the adjacent boxes, unites them all vertically, as if made in one solid frame. k

To prevent any accidental movement of the 6 5 boxes longitudinally when so coupled together, perforations a (one or more) are made through the bottom and top ot' the boxes, and then a plate, b, with studs d corresponding to said perforations, is set over, and so that the studs 7o will pass through said'perforations, as seen in Fig. 4, and until these studs are removed the boxes cannot be separated. Other devices, however, may be applied to preventy such removal of boxes-'as', for instance, `a headed 75 stud and a single perforation would serve the purpose, or a screw introduced through one box into the next, the only essential requisite being that it should be a device which would tending from the rear end towardthe front or be easily removed.w 8o

To remove either box, take out the stud d, or the connection vvhich'would` prevent longitudinal movement of the box, andthen force the box either outward or inward-that is, 'either to the front or rear. In v the iirst case 8 5 it will pass off from the tongues, and in theV second will take the'tongues with it, and when' the object for which the box is removed is accomplished it maybe replaced. Thus the box may be removed or replaced Without inany 9o manner disturbing the adjacent boxes.

While it is preferable to make the tongue and groove extend only over a portion of the length of the boxes, as shown, the tongue and groovemay run through from front to rear. 95

down at right angles from the plate b and its edges turned to form a groove at top and bottom, as seen in Fig. 5. These grooves serve as a receptacle for the name-slips.

This device is applicable to boxes of common construction as a means for attaching the oceupants name.

A similar coupling device to the plate b may be applied to the sides of adjacent boxes to connect one vertical series with the next, and the plate may extend the entire height of the side, as shown at b', Fig. 3, and together with the transverse plates form a metal edge or band around the inner end of The boxes, covering or hiding the wood and joint between adjacent boxes,` and give to the inside of the boxes a more finished appearance than when the Wood and joint are exposed.

Longitudinal grooves similar to the groovesA A may be made in the side of the boxes, and provided with corresponding tongues the same as for the top and bottom.

Instead of making the grooves in the top and bottom and providingadetachable tongue, the tongues may be made fast to one box and the next box provided with the grooves, and so on alternating, first a box With a tongue at top and bottom, the next with grooves at top and bottom. In such construction, when it is desired to remove a single box, pull it out at the rear or front, accordingly as it is a tongued or grooved box.

I do not broadly claim a metallic name-plate constructed to receive a paper or other slip, as such is described in Patent No. 194,890.

I claiml. The herein-described improvementin independent boxesfor post-offices, consisting in the boxes constructed with longitudinal grooves of dovetail or similar shape, combined with corresponding tongues, substantially as described.

2. The herein-described independent boxes for post-offices, consisting in the boxes constructed with longitudinal grooves of dovetail or similar shape, combined with tongues corresponding to said grooves, and a removable device, substantially such as described, extending from one box into the next, to prevent longitudinal movement, substantially as specified.

JAMES' SPRUCE.

Witnesses:

M. L. SPERRY, W. B. MERRIMAN.

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